What's it like to be a graduate officer?

Becoming an officer in the Royal Navy means joining a unique organisation. You’ll make your mark on the world, with a life, lifestyle – and prospects – to match. You’ll enjoy travelling the world and meeting all types of people. But it’s not for everyone - dangerous situations are part of the role and you need to be comfortable with that.

LIVE

In our officers’ words: “It’s more than a job.”; knowing that you are part of something this important will give you a feeling of enormous pride whenever you put on your uniform.

But make no mistake - it’s not easy. You’ll be pushed mentally, physically and professionally. The hours can be long. There will be periods when you’re away from home and you won’t always have access to home comforts like social media.

This will be challenging, at first, but spending long periods in close quarters with your colleagues creates an intense camaraderie. You have the ultimate support network to help you embrace the challenges of being an officer. This, along with the knowledge that you are fulfilling a vital role, means our officers enjoy a sense of pride and purpose every day.

The special camaraderie is not just limited to professional situations, though. Whether you’re serving at sea or spending time ashore, you’ll always have access to a dedicated officer wardroom, giving you somewhere to eat, relax and socialise after a hard day’s work – wherever you are in the world. You’ll always have access to sports facilities, too.

LEAD

As an officer, you’re an essential part of Royal Navy command. You’ll be applying skills and knowledge gained from your degree, as well as what you learn during training, to lead a team of up to 30 men and women in circumstances that can be difficult and challenging. These situations can change; you could be delivering vital humanitarian aid to victims of a natural disaster or leading an armed boarding party in search of a drugs shipment, but your leadership capabilities will need to be exemplary for the safety of you and those under your command.

HEAR FROM OUR RECENT GRADUATES

BEng Marine Engineering - Marine Engineering Officer

We each have our time to relax - after a busy day you can chill out with your mates and maybe have a beer or two.

BEng Civil Engineering- Royal Marine Captain

It's a really sociable experience and there is a lot of free time available to do your own thing outside of work.

BEng Civil Engineering- Royal Marine Captain

To be successful where so many have failed and to join such an elite fighting force is a great feeling.